1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of vehicular power plants and more specifically in the field of automobiles. It is a type of automotive quite similar to that currently manufactured by American automotive infrastructure. The information known is that there is an ubiquitous presence of the gasoline-powered automobile in the United States. By improving the efficiency by which automotive vehicles burn gasoline, exhaust gas emissions can be reduced and fuel supply increased. It is toward this problem that this invention is oriented. However, it has the potential for significantly increased fuel efficiency, reduced emissions, and perhaps most importantly, is very easily manufactured within the current scope of the American automotive manufacturing industry. It accomplishes this by pairing an internal combustion gasoline engine with a steam engine.
2. The Prior Art
The current automobile produced in America today is powered by an internal combustion engine. Many such average size automobiles seem to be able to only realize a fuel efficiency of roughly 30 miles per gallon of gasoline. There are attempts to manufacture alternative fuel vehicles capable of realizing greater fuel efficiency. Recently, there has been an idea to hybridize the gasoline-powered automotive vehicle with an electric motor. Most promising among these is the gas-electric hybrid as exemplified by the Toyota Prius. These vehicles can achieve higher fuel efficiency. However, the main drawback right now is the prohibitive cost of the battery packs necessary to drive their electric motors. There are also fuel-cell vehicles being developed as well as electric vehicles. However, these too have significant logistical problems that must be overcome. Electric vehicles must be charged for long periods of time and driven only for somewhat short distances. Fuel cell vehicles pose a somewhat greater hazard due to the inherent properties of hydrogen fuel. The object of this invention is to continue along the thought processes of these two aforementioned innovations. What this invention adds is the utilization of steam power. This will be accomplished by the manufacture of an automotive vehicle which delivers improves upon the already superior fuel efficiency and reduced carbon emissions of the “gasoline-electric” hybrid already realized.
In the prior art, one finds vehicles which, when put simply, have engines connected to drivetrains, connected to axles, connected to wheels. These vehicles also have fuel tanks and means of delivering fuel to engines. Many have transmissions placed between engines and drivetrains to optimize power delivery to the wheels. Attempts at improving fuel economy in such vehicles has recently focused on building vehicles which use both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor to power the vehicle.
The present invention circumvents the challenges presented by the prior paths pursued. It accomplishes this by utilizing a standard internal combustion engine as well as a piston-type steam engine to produce the motive force necessary to power the vehicle. It uses the internal combustion engine primarily to start the vehicle from cold, and uses the piston-type steam engine to power the vehicle after it has warmed up. By so doing, fuel efficiency can be theoretically doubled, emissions halved, manufacture costs only marginally increased, and the current American automotive infrastructure reinvigorated with an automotive which can quickly and easily be introduced to the public.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,211 issued Jan. 31, 1995 to Carroll there is a vehicle powered by an electric drivetrain with steam and internal combustion engines recharging the battery packs. The present invention improves upon the prior art by eliminating the need for expensive battery packs. It requires the current setup of the internal combustion engine automobile paired with a steam engine under the hood. The electric component of the invention is that already present in the current art. The present invention incorporates a piston-type steam engine as a primary producer of motive force.